SUPPORT SMALL BIZ

Texas ranks No. 2 best state to start a business in new report

“Entrepreneurship is driven by the desire for independence,” Capital on Tap COO Damian Brychcy said.

Creating a small business might be daunting, but new research shows starting it in Texas is one of the best decisions you can make to follow your passion.

Business credit card experts Capital on Tap determined Texas is the second best state to start a small business, right after Florida. They retrieved their data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics based on several factors, including new firm survival rates, corporate tax rates, the number of entrepreneurs per state, and more.

Texas has very friendly tax frameworks when it comes to small businesses; it is one of five total states that don’t impose any income tax. Furthermore, all Texas businesses that make less than $1.08 million in revenue don’t owe any franchise tax. That also includes all businesses that have less than $1,000 in tax liability.

If a small business owner in Texas needed to take out a loan, they’d be able to secure $4,811 per employee, which is the fifth-highest average loan amount in a calculation of all 50 states.

Capital on Tap COO Damian Brychcy says in a release that the decision to start a small business involves assessing several factors and risks, but he hopes his team’s research can provide future guidance for businesses and entrepreneurs no matter where they reside.

“Entrepreneurship is driven by the desire for independence,” he says. “This includes the freedom to pursue your passion, choose your workplace and working hours, and foster personal growth.”

Florida earned its top spot in the report due to its strong support of local economies with the highest number of jobs created by start-ups per 1,000 residents in the state. However, unlike Texas, Florida small businesses have to pay a 5.5 percent corporate tax rate.

The top states that are the best places to start a small business include:

No. 1 – Florida
No. 2 – Texas
No. 3 – Idaho
No. 4 – Nevada
No. 5 – North Carolina
No. 6 – Colorado
No. 7 – Washington
No. 8 – Georgia
No. 9 – California and Montana (tied)
No. 10 – Utah

Texas regularly appears near the top of lists of business-friendly states. It ranked third in personal finance website WalletHub's January report, 2023's Best & Worst States to Start a Business. In February, Texas was named fifth best state for women entrepreneurs in Merchant Maverick’s annual ranking.

Small business owners reports small businesses texas texas businesses

innovation hub

Plano is the 7th best U.S. city to find a job in 2026, report finds

Photo courtesy of Visit Plano

undefined

Dallas neighbor Plano has worked its way into 7th place in WalletHub's new study ranking the best places to find a job in 2026.

The just-released "Best Cities for Jobs (2026)" report compared 182 U.S. cities based on 31 relevant metrics "that shape the strength of local job markets" across two main categories: a socioeconomics rank and a job market rank.

WalletHub determined the top three best U.S. cities to find a job in 2026 are Scottsdale, Arizona (No. 1); Columbia, Maryland (No. 2); and Portland, Maine (No. 3).

The report found Plano's job market ranking — which covered job opportunities, employment growth, unemployment rates, job automation risk, and more — is the 6th best in the U.S.

Plano also ranked No. 40 in the nationwide socioeconomic category, which analyzed housing affordability, median annual income, average work and commute times, transit accessibility, and many other factors.

While these employment indicators are important to consider when researching the best place to find work, WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said the quality of the jobs available matters just as much as the quantity of available jobs in a city.

"There are plenty of secondary factors to take into account as well, from how easy a city makes commuting to jobs to whether it’s a good place for raising a family or engaging in recreational activities outside of work," Lupo said.

Plano is home to the headquarters and regional offices for major corporations including Toyota, J.C. Penney, Frito-Lay, PepsiCo, Bank of America, Capital One, Ericsson, and soon, AT&T.

Plano was dubbed the No. 6 best city for remote workers in 2025, and the greater Dallas-Fort Worth metro recently ranked No. 3 a separate national ranking of the best cities for startups.

Elsewhere in Texas, 10 more cities made it into the top-100 best places for finding a job: Austin (No. 9), Irving (No. 18), Grand Prairie (No. 24), Amarillo (No. 32), Garland (No. 48), Dallas (No. 54), Arlington (No. 60), Fort Worth (No.77), San Antonio (No. 78), and Corpus Christi (No. 100).

The top 10 best U.S. cities for finding a job in 2026 are:

No. 1 – Scottsdale, Arizona
No. 2 – Columbia, Maryland
No. 3 – Portland, Maine
No. 4 – South Burlington, Vermont
No. 5 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
No. 6 – Orlando, Florida
No. 7 – Plano, Texas
No. 8 – Washington, D.C.
No. 9 – Austin, Texas
No. 10 – Huntsville, Alabama

job market innovation wallethub ranking employment plano